Method and device for the production of piles of concrete and the like



May 10, 1932. E. FRANKIGNOUL 1,353,204

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION ILES 0F CONCRETE AND THE LIKE 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 15, 1927 BY MM, M i ATTORNEYS E. FRANKIGNOUL 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Original Filed Nov. 15 1927 Ma ATTORNEYS r; may 1 1%32,

METZ-KOD AND DEVICE FOR; THE PRODUCTION OF FILES OF CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE EDGARD FRANKIGNOUL', 0F BRUSSELS, BELGIUIVI, ASSIGNOR T'O COMPAGNIE? INTER- NATIONALE DES PIE'UX ABMES FRANKIGNOUL, SOCIETE ANONYME, OF LIEG'E,

BELGIUM METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FILES OF CONCRETE 5ND LIKE Original application filed November 15, 1927, Serial No. 233,445, and in. Belgium November 30, 1926.

Divided and this application filed October 6",, 1931.

The present invention relates to a method and device for enabling rapid and economical production of piles of concrete or of similar materials which are completely compressed or rammed along the whole length of the pile and is a divisional application of my principal application No. 233,445 filed in U. S. A. on November 15th, 1927.

According to said principal application the lining or tubing is provided, when driving the system into the ground, with the necessary equipment for concreting, that is to say the rammer. After concreting the rammer and the lining are alternately raised by fractions of the height of the pile which is being constructed. The lining is raised whilst the rammer, which was previously raised, carries out its ramming face.

The rammer, aft-er sinking the lining, may serve for forcing into the ground the closing device for the lining or the point of sinking, and for sinking the lining by pressing the utter position of the rammer, which forms an anvil, upon the upper portion of the lining upon which it rests. The rammer is actuated by a steam or compressed air hammer or by a simple fall. 7

After concreting, the space left free in. the lining under the rannner after each raising of the latter is filled automatically with concrete obtained from a reserve formed inv the lining itself.

According to the present invention this reserve is formed by only using the space left free between the lining and the body of the rammer, whilst according to the principal application said reserve is formed by utilizing the space left free between the lining and the body of the rammer concurrently with a space left free in the interior of the body of the rammer. I

The concrete is introduced into the reserve by a mouthpiece provided at the upper end of the tube or lining.

The invention provides that the raising of the rammer is effected in such a manner that it is possible to allow the monkey to strike upon its upper end or anvil when it is raised in such a manner asto cause the mass of concrete contained in the reserve to be shaken,

Serial No. 567,169;

this mass in some cases being too compact in. order to allow it to flow.

Means are also provided for effecting the disaggregation of the concrete enclosed and to accelerate its descent during the raising of the rammer, for example by means of roughness on the rammer, or blades. which are capable of collapsing.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example, and not. by way of limitation, various forms. of construction of the invention. There are shown various IIIOdTfiCQr tions of carrying out the invention.

in these drawings Figures 1 to 5 illustrate diagrammatically various phases in the production of apile.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrateto' a larger scale the top and bottom respectively, of the device according to the invention before sinking into the ground.

Figures 8 and 9 show modifications of the device according to-theinvention- Figures 10 and llare cross sections-on the lines and XI-XI of Eigurest? and. 9 respectively. V

Figure 1 shows the position of the parts at the moment when the sinking intotheground is to commence.

The tube 1 bears on the point 2. On this rests the raminer l of. which the upper part is connected to an. anvil 3 adaptedto receive the blows from a monkey, arranged above this and illustrated diagrammatically at This anvil rests on the upper end: of the tube 1. The monkey is, for-example, a'steam or compressed air actuated monkey or is simply a monkey having a free fall.

The point 2', the tube 1' and. the column: or rammer iare sunk simultaneously in such a manner as'to occupy the position illustrated in Figure 2. Concrete is then introduced by the mouthb of thettiubel intothe-spacelfbrming the reserve and formed by the annular space 19 contained between the tube 1 andthe column forming the rammer' 4; For the purpose of ramming, the rammer is, raised to: a height which may vary for. example from 50 cms. to. 2.1neters- The concrete is; then supplied soas to? occupy the complete sectionof the tube 1 and for the whole height under the rammer.

Figure 3 illustrates this phase of the operation. The parts being in this position, the monkey 5 is operated in such a manner as to produce the downward movement of the column forming the rammer 4 by reason of the blows from the monkey which it receives. The ramming of the concrete situated below this column is thus effected.

At the same time as the operation of ramming proceeds, the tube 1 is little by little eX- tracted from the ground by means of a winch. The top of the tube gradually approaches the anvil 3 which is subjected to a downward movement under the action of the monkey.

Figure 4 shows this phase of the operation.

Soon the column 4 and the tube 1 assume a position relatively near that which they occupy in the case of Figure 2 after sinking; the operation of the monkey is then stopped temporarily as also the movement of the tube 1. The column forming the rammer 4 as also the anvil 3 and the monkey 5 which are connected together are then again raised in such a manner as to enable a fresh quantity of concrete to pass downwardly underneath the column-rammer 4.

It is possible when the column-rammer 4 has been raised to give a few strokes of the monkey so as to shake the system which is for the purpose of disaggregating the concrete in the annular space which is left free between the tube 1 and the column 4 and thus to produce its flow to the bottom of the tube 1 under the rammer 4.

The operation then continues as above described whilst simultaneously producing a downward movement of the column 4 under the action of the monkey and' an upward movement of the tube 1 which thus meets the anvil of the column 4.

In the method of construction illustrated in the drawings the point 2 which may be of concrete is left in the ground.

Figure 6 shows an arrangement which may be given to the upper part of the tube 1 and of the column 4. This figure particularly shows the manner in which a mouth 6 is constructed according to the invention at the top of the tube 1. Hoisting cables 7, adapted to effect the withdrawal of the tube, as also cables 18 adapted to effect the withdrawal of the column 4 and of the anvil 3 upon which the monkey 5 rests, are shown diagrammatically in Figure 6.

Figure 7 shows diagrammatically the lower part of the tube 1 and of the colu1nn4 as also the fitting of these pieces into the point 2 when sinking the system.

For the purpose of guiding the column 4 in the interior of the tube 1 guide projections 8 and 9 are provided respectively at the upper and lower portions of these members. The projections 8 are secured to the tube 1 and are for example, three in number, whilst the projections 9 are secured to the column 4 and are four in number.

Certain compositions of materials entering into the production of concrete and contained in the annular reservoir 19 are heaped up under the action of the compression exerted on the concrete by the rammer 4, which cause the concrete to flow upwardly into the annular space 19 and to compress the concrete at the bottom of this container. When the column 4 is raised the concrete may remain in this position and will only flow partly into the space which is left free under the rammer 4. In order to cause the concrete to flow, the column 4 is provided either with teeth 11 (Figure 8) with a triangular base, or projections 10 (Figure 9), the point of starting of these projections being recessed in the body of the column 4 in such a manner as to produce spaces sufiicient for the flow of the concrete. Pegs 12 (Figure 10) judiciously arranged on the column 4 elfect, when concrete is supplied into the space 19, a mix- 7 ing of the elements forming the concrete. Pegs 13 (Figure 8) and 14 (Figure 9) may, by means of a system operable from the outside at the top of the rammer, be approached or separated from the axis of the column 4 M in such a manner that these projections or pe 's, by reason of their engagement with the mass of concrete contained in the space 9 produce a sufficient disaggregation of the elements of the concrete so as to enable it to flow under the column or ram 4. r

The pegs 13 and 14 are operated in such a manner that their ends are approached towards the centre of the column 4 when this is raised whilst they are spread apart from the axis of the column 4 and penetrate into the space 9 during the downward movement of the column thus producing the flow of concrete.

The pegs 13 are moved by a wedge 20 carried by the operating rod 21 engaging axially between inclined surfaces provided on the said pegs, which are constantly urged towards the axis by return springs. The pegs 14 are hinged at one end to the operating rod 21 and at the other end rest on a guide path 22.

The operating rod 21 may be actuatedby any suitable mechanism. Its upper end, engaged in the anvil 3, may for example, be

provided with a rack moved by a toothed The anvil 3 being raised it is ioc pcssible to impart by means of the monkey some blows to the anvil which shake the system, and in this manner cause a flow and downward movement of the concrete in the space 19.

The invention provides that in the various forms of construction described the space forming the reservoir of concrete may have a section slightly enlarged towards the bot tom in such a manner as to facilitate the downward movement of the concrete.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. A method for constructing concrete piles or the like comprising the steps of driving into the soil a shaft lining, a driving pointand a rammer, pouring concrete in said lining and causing a part of the concrete contained in the lining to fall underneath the rammer.

2. Method of constructing piles of concrete and like materials consisting in driving into the soil to the desired depth si1nultaneously a driving point, a shaft lining and a rammer, pouring concrete into a storage space provided between the rammer and the lining, slightly raising the rammer, causing a part of the concrete contained in said storage space to fall underneath the rammer, ramming the concrete and at the same time withdrawing the shaft lining.

3. Method of constructing piles of concrete and like materials consisting in driving into the soil to the desired depth simultaneously a driving point, a shaft lining and a rammer, pouring concrete in an annular space provided between the rammer and the lining, raising the rammer, causing the latter to vi.- brate so that concrete in said space will fall down underneath said rammer, ramming the concrete and at the same time withdrawing the shaft lining.

4. Method of constructing piles of concrete and like materials consisting in driving into the soil to the desired depth simultaneously a driving point, a shaft lining and a rammer, pouring concrete into an annular space provided between the rammer and the shaft lining, slightly raising the rammer, causing the dropping underneath the rammer of a part of the concrete contained inside said space,

ramming the concrete and at the same time slowly withdrawing the shaft lining and re peating the cycle of steps.

5. Device for the driving and construction of piles of concrete and like materials moulded in the soil comprising a driving point, a

rammer bearing during the driving work with its lower end upon the driving point and provided at its top end with an anvil adapted to receive the shock of the pile driver, a shaft lining which during the driving work engages with its lower end on the driving point and is subjected at its top end to the action of the anvil, means for guiding the rammer within the shaft lining, an annular space constituting a concrete storage space provided between said rammer and said shaft lining, means for the introduction of prepared concrete into said space and means for causing the falling underneath the rammer of the concrete contained inside the said space.

6. Device for the driving and construction of piles of concrete and like materials moulded in the soil comprising a driving point, a rammer bearing during the driving work with its lower end upon the driving point and provided at its top end with an anvil receiving the impact of a hammer, a shaft lining coaxial with respect to the rammer, a storage for concrete provided in the annular space between said shaft lining and said rammer, means for supplying concrete at the upper part of said shaft lining and means for causing the falling under the rammer of the concrete contained inside said storage space.

7. Device for the driving and construction of piles of concrete and like materials moulded in the soil comprising a driving point, a rammer bearing during the driving work with its lower end upon the driving point and furnished at its top end with an anvil receiving the impact of a hammer, a shaft lining coaxial in relation to the rammer, a storage of concrete provided inside the annular space between said shaft lining and said rammer, a hop-per for the introduction of concreteinto the storage space provided in the upper part of the shaft lining, means for shaking the concrete contained in said storage space and causing the same to fall underneath the rammer and internal radial projections of said shaft lining extending toward said rammer for guiding this latter along the axis of said shaft lining.

8. Device for the driving and construction of piles of concrete and like materials moulded in the soil comprising a driving point, a rammer resting during the driving work with its lowerend upon the driving point and furnished at its upper end wit-h an anvil receiving the shock of a hammer, a tube coaxial in relation to the rammer, a concrete storage space provided in the annular space between said tube and said rammer, means for the introduction of concrete into said annular space, teeth provided in the bodyof the rammer for agitating the concrete contained in the storage space and causing the concrete to fall underneath said rammer while it is being raised and external radial proiections of said rammer extending toward said tube for guiding the rammer along the axis of said tube.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDGARD FRANKIGNOUL. 

